Controversial Community Manager Fired; Players Demand His Return.
Following an incident in which users were urged to submit bad reviews for Helldivers 2 on the game’s Steam store page, Arrowhead Game Studios has severed company with Spitz, its community manager. However, players have begun a petition on change.org calling for Spitz’s reinstatement, noting his capacity to “restore the faith of [the] community.”
Petition for the Canonization of General Spitz in Helldivers Lore
In addition to calling for Spitz’s return, the petition, which was uploaded to change.org on Tuesday, asks for the “canonization of General Spitz in Helldivers history.” Despite his reputation for inciting heated debates about the game, Spitz was well-liked by a sizable segment of the community.
Arrowhead has yet to respond to the petition.
Despite growing support for Spitz’s reinstatement, Arrowhead Game Studios has not responded to the petition. We have contacted the studio for comment on the subject and will update this item whenever we receive a response.
Sony’s controversial PSN mandate
Sony recently sought to make PlayStation Network sign-ups mandatory for all Helldivers 2 players, beginning May 6 for new players and May 30 for existing ones. This choice drew strong criticism from users, resulting in Helldivers 2 becoming one of the most critically reviewed titles on Steam. Sony eventually succumbed to the criticism and announced that PSN account connecting would remain optional. Throughout the issue, Spitz, one of Arrowhead’s most active community managers, openly pushed players to review-bomb the game in order to prevent Sony from implementing the account-linking requirement. Although the review bombings were effective, it appears that Spitz’s statements eventually led to his departure from the company.
Despite the fact that many players initially gave negative comments, Helldivers 2 is gradually improving. However, the game remains unavailable for purchase in over 150 countries and territories, as Valve delisted it due to a lack of PlayStation Network compatibility.